Before forming
Motoerhead
,
Ian Kilmister
(aka
Lemmy
) could boast of having been a member of space rock cowboys
Hawkwind
and a career in horsebreaking (that's horsebreaking, not housebreaking). He was also, to top it all, the son of a vicar. Having been expelled from his former employers after a disagreement with border guards over the contents of his luggage, he took the name for his new band from the final song he'd written for
. Together with
Larry Wallis
of
the Pink Fairies
and drummer
Philthy Animal Taylor
recorded a debut album that was rejected by
United Artists
(you can just imagine the face of the poor guy who got the short straw and had to tell
), though it was eventually released as
On Parole
in 1979. As a result, the group expanded with the addition of
"Fast" Eddie Clarke
on guitar.
Wallis
then left after just one rehearsal, leaving the classic
lineup in shape for their debut proper. Rock & roll had never heard the like. Though only a minor chart success,
patented the group's style:
's rasping vocal over a speeding juggernaut of guitar, bass, and drums. The lyrical theme was "Don't mess with us" instead of "Don't mess with our hair." Before this, hard rock was about musicianship and exhibitionism.
, conversely, returned mainstream rock to its most brutal base elements -- no wonder the punks liked them. ~ Alex Ogg